c.1952 Johann Hofler, Saucer Jet in Original Box
Remarkable tin litho friction motor Saucer Jet produced in Germany by Johann Höfler. The toy is characterized by its brilliant kaleidoscopic colors. It has the unique ability to launch metal saucers while its moving. Never seen that before. Never seen this toy before either. Comes complete with both metal saucers. The toy is beautifully complimented with its original box and die cut insert. The jet looks almost psychedelic with shades of blue, green, yellow, red, orange, and highlighted with black and white striping. Even the undersides of the wings were colored in this manner. The saucers fit into a pin-notched mechanism located between the wings. Movement of the landing gear wheels causes this pin to rotate. Get it rolling fast enough and the two saucers jettison away. It works, but to avoid damage I ran it just fast enough to make the saucers spin. The toy also features 1) embossing around the wing edges to make them sturdier, 2) two solid rubber tires with metal centers, and 3) a polished tin stabilizing wheel underneath the tail. The box is just as awesome as the toy. It was designed with a large die cut window around the top edge of the large saucer in the center. Every box panel is completely covered with full color illustrations including the front cover which has a panel wide illustration of the jet maneuvering away from the saucers. More detail was included on the aprons. The front apron shows (unfortunately) that the saucers were successful. The jet is going down in flames while the pilot parachutes to safety. The side aprons show a single saucer in hot pursuit. The rear apron has a simple schematic showing how to launch the saucers. The manufacturer's clover trademark was also printed on the rear apron. The presence of the original inset was probably the single most contributory factor for its outstanding condition. It was precisely cut to accommodate the jet and saucers and prevent them from moving around. Size: 7½" fuselage, 9½" wingspan. Saucers 2" diameter. Sold: Oct. 2007
Price Sold: $ 183
